Easy 2.5 Miles in Breakheart Reservation

08/02/2026 Region: New England Activity Type: Hiking/Walk Place: Wakefield, MA

I'm currently just seeing if there's interest in this, especially since it's on short notice. (I'm 90% sure it's a go but...) I'll make the decision by this Friday (July 24th).

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This is an easy 2.5 mile afternoon hike around a small lake in the rear section of the Breakheart Reservation in Wakefield, MA (just north of Boston). It will be a co-event with Chiltern Mountain Club (also LGBTQ).

A third is on paved fire roads and the rest on trails along the water. It’s 60% in the woods/shaded.

About 3/4s of the way around is a beach we'll stop at. We may or may not want to swim. It once had a lot of floating weeds and last summer it was one of the ponds in the state closed because of bacteria. I will call the Friday before to let people know.

Towards the end there's an optional climb up to the top of a small hill some people like to do. There's a nice view of Boston. It adds about a 1/4 of a mile and is more difficult. It's easy to bypass if you want to keep it easy.

Anything more than a drizzle will cancel - there’s no rain date planned (although I will also run this hike in September).

Breakheart Reservation info & map - https://www.mass.gov/locations/breakheart-reservation. (From the rear entrance to the reservation we’ll go counterclockwise around Pierce Lake.)

bosandvtguy Jul 22, 2026 at 11:58 AM

I'd be up for it, thanks. Nelson in Woburn, MA.